Obinna Oriaku Wrote…
Government of Lies, for Liars, and for Those Who Allow Themselves to Be Deceived by Obinna Oriaku
My people, yesterday being the 5th of February, 2025. I became fully convinced that the Abia State Government is deliberate and intentional about lies and deception.
I ran into a lecturer from Yale University who was full of praise for Abia State. He was passionately hailing the “unprecedented development” that has taken place under the current administration. I am sure you can imagine my reaction.
It is not always easy to tell your audience that your daughter has developed pubic hair, especially as an Onye Ngwa.
We kept quiet to avoid being seen as disgruntled individuals until the man brought out pictures of the commissioned Abia Medical City. He confidently stated that they had been told the hospital had already been commissioned, along with the airport. He was in the country to discuss the Medical City and explore potential partnerships, including sending in medical equipment and further investments.
The man could not believe it when I told him that the land for the project had not even been secured. It took my showing him an old email in which I alluded to the proposed site being in my village for him to accept the truth. Even then, he was bewildered by the fact that the government had only offered a single cow and ₦1 million to each of the seven villages expected to give up their land. Yet, they demanded 1,000 hectares! To put that into perspective, the entire Victoria Island in Lagos is just about 800 hectares.
What exactly is behind this massive land acquisition? We don’t know. The same applies to the Nsulu Airport land, where, from my understanding, the government is demanding a size that could fit four Heathrow Airports.
The investor was left questioning why a government would deliberately push such falsehoods to an international audience.
When I showed him a recent publication detailing the conflict between Nsulu landowners and the government over the airport site, he refused to look up.
There is no difference between this government and deception, they are like 5 and 6. Believe anything they say at your own peril.
This is a government that had the audacity to write off ₦54 billion without blinking. At this rate, the Ikpeazu administration will soon be canonized.
They still go to church and boldly declare that “Abia’s money will not be shared,” yet they have written off ₦54 billion without any trace. They are lucky we live in the dispensation of Christ; under the Law of Moses, they would have been struck down in church for lying before God and man.
Do you know the economic impact of ₦54 billion if shared among a few Abians?
Chima Oriaku is coming. I understand they have been calling him to calm down.
Today, Abia’s 13% oil derivation revenue averages ₦2 billion, compared to ₦90 million in 2016. Oil production has increased from 10,000 barrels per day to 32,000. Meanwhile, Imo and Delta States are using theirs to construct roads, bridges, and hospitals not just makeshift PHCs like what we still see in the so-called New Abia.
A government that should be raising the bar of governance is instead retrofitting one-room health centers and they proudly showcase these as achievements in modern Nigeria.
Two days ago, the entire media space was agog over a 45-meter bridge because they wanted to squeeze political capital out of the project despite receiving ₦21 billion monthly. As usual, they published four-page stories on the supposed economic impact of the bridge but conveniently omitted the cost of the project.
That brings us to the Omenuko Bridge project. We thank Governor Otti for flagging off this important infrastructure, as it is a much-needed development for the people. However, we also take this opportunity to ask a simple but critical question: why is the cost of the project being hidden? Since this is a Federal Government project, and the state is expected to be reimbursed, transparency should not be an issue. If other states embarking on federal projects disclose their costs, why is Abia’s case different?
However, Let’s keep celebrating the payment of salaries and pensions while other states aggressively pursue meaningful and impactful developmental Projects.
To my Dollar Economists, I hope you are closely monitoring the situation. The Naira is steadily appreciating against the Dollar heading towards ₦1,400, yet when it was at ₦1,800, you referred to the Naira as the Zimbabwean Dollar and argued that government revenue should not excite us due to exchange rate.
I refuse to be part of Nde Mugu Eloro Elo!
© Ekwedike
